To: Michael Allard who wrote (2576 ) 11/13/2002 11:26:08 PM From: Jon Koplik Respond to of 2737 Wireless Week story on Leap's third quarter results. Leap Reports 3Q Results, Progress In Restructuring BY WIRELESS WEEK STAFF NOVEMBER 13, 2002 NEWS@2 DIRECT Leap Wireless International is adding new customers as it progresses through a restructuring, but its churn rate remains a relatively high 4.5 percent. Leap today reports net customer additions of about 45,000, ending the third quarter with about 1.497 million Cricket customers, up from the 1.452 million customers the company reported as of June 30. Leap's adjusted net loss during the third quarter was $155.6 million, or $3.46 per share, which was $5.2 million, or 97 cents per share, less than the net loss reported for the comparable period in the prior year. Billed average revenue per user per month was about $37.80 compared to $38.37 reported for the previous quarter. Overall cost per gross customer addition was $312. Leap has struggled since it halted interest payments on its vendor financing and was forced to issue shares to MCG PCS to resolve a $41 million spectrum dispute. Also still recovering from major subscriber fraud, the company hopes a new calling plan and billing process will improve its bottom line. The company started offering Cricket Talk, a plan that includes unlimited local calling, 500 minutes of domestic long distance and a package of calling features for $39.99 per month. Under the new billing method, new and reactivating customers receive a bill for service early in their monthly billing cycle with payment due by the last day of the billing cycle. As a result, the first month of Cricket service no longer will be included in the purchase of the Cricket phone. Despite its troubles, Leap Chairman and CEO Harvey White says the company is confident it can come through its restructuring a stronger company. The company says it expects to restructure its indebtedness and capital structure in such a way that would allow it to emerge from the restructuring with reduced indebtedness. No restructuring deal has yet been reached, however. A hearing on Leap's proposed Nasdaq delisting is scheduled for tomorrow. © 2002 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.